I chatted with Brandon from Bumpin’ Uglies about that awesome name, and their upcoming EP
Q: Who are some of your musical influences?
Sublime is the reason I wanted to start a band. Definitely my biggest musical influence. Ben Folds is the reason I wanted to start writing songs. His live album is what got me through freshman and sophmore year of high school. I wore out out at least 2 or 3 copies of that CD.
Q: How did the band form?
I started playing guitar when I was 17 and pretty much started writing songs immediately. Me and my homie from high school would busk down in the city dock of Annapolis until we made enough money to buy beer and then would find somewhere to go party. When I turned 21 I started hitting up the open mic circuit in Annapolis and my manager from the restaurant that I waited tables at suggested we make a band. I’d never been in a band before so I told him that if he handled the logistics side of it I was totally down. Started gigging a couple of months later and never looked back.
Q: Is there a story behind the band name?
We just wanted something funny and memorable. If you would have told me at 21 that I would still be doing this shit in my thirties I probably would have gone with something a bit more respectable ::laughs::
Q: Is it hard touring around the country?
Absolutely. It’s about 90% driving, 9% killing time, and 1% playing music. But I wouldn’t take it any other way. I’m a huge believer that anything worth doing isn’t easy.
Q: What sets you a part from other local bands?
Probably our ‘fuck it’ mentality. I’ve never been one to sit around and wait for shit to happen. I know a lot of younger guys who are super talented that think that touring is just something that happens for you because you’re awesome. It’s not. Maybe 1 out of 100 working bands have someone just pick them up, but generally speaking you have to put in the work yourself. I personally booked our first 9 or 10 tours by cold calling venues, emailing promoters, and contacting other bands on social media. We spent years sleeping on the floors of strangers houses and eating the cheapest food that we could find. We’ve gone in and out of debt a few times just to keep the machine going. But its what had to be done, so we did it. I think that’s an important mentality to have.
Q: How have you grown since your first EP?
Exponentially. The songwriting has gotten much more mature and the band as a whole is much tighter. I credit that to non-stop touring and much more experience in the studio.
Q: What is your favorite song off your new EP, “Keep It Together?”
I really like the song “Keep Moving.” Its all over the place dynamically and the lyrics are very telling of what it feels like to struggle with anxiety and panic attacks.
Q: What is your favorite part of being in the Maryland music scene?
The quality of the music and the supportive nature of it. I hate social media in a lot of regards but I think its been great for keeping people accountable for their actions. No one wants to act like an asshole anymore because the whole world will know they’re an asshole pretty quickly. Its nice ::laughs::
Bumpin Uglies new EP “Keep It Together” will release September 9th!
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